Automotive Therapy

Hello February! Hello month of Valentine's crap!

This past weekend I went on a roadtrip with my good friend Melanie. We went to see her good friend Bennett, who was first good friends with Melanie's best friend, Stephanie, who is attending Harvard and about to graduate and be a fabulous lawyer, so touch me because I know cool people! ANYway, Mel and I headed out to Knoxville for a good time and we got one. We went to see a band play, and it was good. We ate at the Tomato Head, and it was better than good. We attended Bennett's Blue party (you had to wear blue), and it was good. See? Good times all around. But what I discovered on this trip, aside from trying to send good things out into the universe (more Oprah bullcrap) was the therapeutic benefits of riding in a car for three hours with a best friend who is good at listening.

I would like to introduce to you the idea of Automotive Therapy. This particular type of bonding is different from regular girl talk for a few reasons. First, you are confined to the car and there are relatively few distractions. Second, you do not have to worry about talking too much because you have three entire hours to fill up. Third, you know that when you are done, you will then be a listener, fulfilling both roles in the therapy session and therefore feeling important no matter what you are doing- talking, blubbering, yelling, or listening. I believe last Friday evening Mel and I covered the spectrum of possible emotions. First, we were excited. Then we became a a bit serious and focused. Then I thought out loud, became confused, frustrated, uncertain, stood on the fence and yelled with all my might, cried about the fence I was on, hated the fence, loved the fact that I had ever met this fence, and finally found rest in a resolution to get off the fence soon. Melanie raged at the road and its other occupants. Then she gave sage advice, or whatever words of wisdom she could muster and I settled into a calm pseudo-happiness because dinner was on the horizon. Then, Melanie was surprised, frustrated, angry, sad, selfish (by her own admittance), frustrated again and moreover, sarcastic, and finally resigned. She cried. That made us even. We both cried about completely different things. I made some jokes, mixed with observations from the outside and she laughed and felt a little better. I don't think either of us had this in mind when we left my house. But actually, that was my favorite part of the trip. Don't get me wrong, the Tomato Head was a close second on my list, tailgated closely by the American Bang. But the three hours of disclosure between close friends is what I will always remember about this trip.

I recommend Automotive Therapy. It is tough, maybe uncomfortable at times, but when done with the right person in the right amount of time, can strengthen a friendship and resolve some of those pesky neurotic issues you've been struggling with!

And I'm sorry I slept all the way home. Terribly sorry. Please forgive me, Melarooni.